A Gold Star mother from Hanson was frantic Tuesday night when she discovered that a memorial sign for her son, Marine Staff Sgt. Bill Callahan, who died in Iraq in 2007, had been taken down and was missing and presumed stolen.

"When I called the police last night they told me that they have been having a problem in other communities with signs getting stolen and sold for scrap metal," said Mary Ellen Callahan to The Enterprise. "So everyone thought it was stolen."

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Callahan learned Wednesday morning that the sign and 18 others in town had been taken down for cleaning and repairs.

Bill Callahan was 28 when he died in combat in Iraq’s Al Anbar province on April 27, 2007.

Shortly after his death a sign was erected in his memory on Rt. 14, at the corners of County Road and Independence Avenue in Hanson that read "Callahan Corner."

Bob Arsenault, the veteran's agent in town said he took the memorial plaques down last week and he and volunteers worked to paint the poles black. Some of the plaques were replaced right away while others, like Callahan's, needed more maintenance.

"I didn’t think the head of the pole would be down as long as it was," Arsenault said.

"There was some problems with it. So I asked a volunteer in town, who is a machinist, if he could correct the situation. You can’t really put a time element on it because they’re doing a favor for you."

Arsenault, who has been very busy making preparations for Memorial Day, said he tried to contact Callahan but was unable to do so.

"I looked in the phone book to call her before I took the head down but I couldn't find her in there." Arsenault, 68, said. "It's just a miscommunication. The signs are not missing."

Aresenault also said he told Merideth Marini, the executive assistant for the town board of selectmen about his plans.

The Hanson police also believed that the sign was stolen as well.

"Sorry for any confusion. Veterans memorial signs have been removed for maintenance, not stolen. #MemorialDay," a tweet sent out by the Hanson Police Twitter account Tuesday morning reads.

"I wish the police had called me or town hall," Aresenault said. "Communication is lacking there. Maybe in the future is what I have to do is put it in the paper and maybe people will see it and it’s out there."

The repairs have been made to the sign and it will be put back up Wednesday night. Next week, boy scouts in town will plant flowers at all the town's memorial signs and they will be decorated with American flags.

As the town's sole veteran's agent, Arsenault said he is stretched thin, especially during this time of year making preparations for Memorial Day.

"I'm a one-man show," he said. "I'm the guy who puts together the Memorial Day parade. My office sends out over 300 letters to deceased veteran’s family members to give the family an appropriate marker and flag for a veteran’s grave and also send out for presidential commendation letters."